#even if my art improves it will just be a hassle to remake all of it a third time

[phoenix-clan]

Haha hehe hoohoo... it is time for me to announce what I've been working on all this time and what my plans for PhoenixClan are going forward hehehehe...

I am pleased to announce that PhoenixClan is being remade and reworked on its very own ComicFury page!!!

Long explanation and rambling thoughts under the cut for those curious as to the direction of PhoenixClan going forward:

To be honest I was only going to remake everything up to 4 part 1, but when I looked back on it all I really regret pretty much every part I've made pre-7. I think it all could have been handled much better by me, the art looked sloppy and was often rushed, and it was bugging me that it wasn't as good as it could have been.

At the end of last year, I was even debating on ending PhoenixClan altogether and moving onto a different comic project I have been extremely eager to write. I also debated making that project on the side as I continued to chug through PhoenixClan.

Ultimately, I came to a realization that the reason I was dragging my feet on making more PhoenixClan was because I felt like the early parts of PhoenixClan were half-heartedly made, and I was just going through the motions with every subsequent part so I could get to the better plot moments. I should have been truly dedicating my time and energy to it, and making sure I was happy with the pacing and writing.

This is not even mentioning how terrible the character writing was when I first started! I had no clue who any of these characters were yet and instead of doing practice comics and drafts to understand them better, I just wrote the comic without even thinking about who each of the characters were as people. Now that I have a better understanding of them all, I cringe at those early characterizations.

I truly do love the story I've been writing with PhoenixClan, and I want to share it all with you. But I thought that I was bound by unspoken rules that a comic can never be reworked or remade, and thus I was left with a story whose contents I truly adored but was hindered by my amateurish first attempt.

I will not be deleting any of the previous parts of PhoenixClan, and I will still include them in my website and blog directories. I will simply partition the new stuff from the old stuff, so you can still enjoy the early beginnings of PhoenixClan. I will still be uploading new PhoenixClan parts here as well, so don't worry if you don't want to make the jump over there!

However, from here on out I'm going to be creating all of it from scratch again. I want to be a better author, a better artist, and a better comic creator for PhoenixClan. It deserves that much.

And yeah now it's also all gonna be uploaded to ComicFury on top of that lol

I only have a default template look for the site rn but I'll see about doing some more unique stuff with it in the future :)

[shylaxgameblogs]

Shylax’s Top 10 Games (Played in the Year) of 2017

Yep, it’s the return! You’re going to be here a while, so...

10. Mario Golf World Tour (2014)

Yep, that’s right, a golf game. It wouldn’t be right without one, and here it is.

I really wanted to play this game because @pawelcyril kept gushing about it, but I don’t really play it anymore. It’s not a bad game, it wouldn’t be on this list if it wasn’t, but it could have been a lot better than it was. There are a lot of 9 hole only courses, which is disappointing. The single player story mode is fun, but short. Online’s loading times are disappointing. Being able to create and customize a Mii golfer is fun, but the Mii’s driving distance sucks compared to Star Mario. The tournament system is fun, and solves World Invitational’s cheating problem by just letting you go as many times as you like, but...Hot Shots Golf World Invitational was so much better. That game had so much more staying power, even with its own flaws.

9. Fire Pro Wrestling World (2017)

I remember playing Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium on a SNES emulator. That was my first experience with Fire Pro, and it was so much different than any other wrestling game I had played before. Probably the closest that comes to the Fire Pro experience are the aki wrestling games, most notably WWF No Mercy.

If you’re a fan of American-style wrestling, this game will probably disappoint you, because even though you can create your American favorites and have them battle each other, this game doesn’t feature the wild and crazy antics that make American wrestling tick. There are no storylines here, and no cutscenes. This is pure puroresu. Japanese wrestling is treated more like a legitimate sport, and so does this game. It’s all about the competition.

This game has no license, but it has a robust Create-a-Wrestler system, allowing you to create your favorite wrestlers, characters outside of wrestling, or original characters. You can even create bear wrestlers if you’d like, which is a major plus in its favor in my book.

However, the meat of the game is its robust wrestling engine. It’s 2D at its very best, relatively unchanged since the SFPWXP days, although it does look much better. The action is displayed in a 3/4 isometric view, and the grappling system is unique, and unlike American wrestling games, punishes button mashing, instead of rewarding it. There are three styles of grapples - weak, medium, and strong. You have to build up with successful weak moves before moving up - if you try to go for medium and strong moves too early, you’ll get countered.

The only reason I don’t play it more is it’s still in Early Access, and more features are being added and refined. Online play is there, but the netcode is pretty laggy. There’s not a story or career mode, so unless you have friends who are ubercompetitive at this game, its only other real use is as a supreme @tangobunny Watch Mode game.

8, Parascientific Escape Gear Detective (2015)

The sequel to 2014′s Parascientific Escape Cruise in the Distant Seas, which was a refreshing take on the Zero Escape formula, adding in powers you could use during “escape” sequences, and being able to backtrack to rooms you already completed, was a huge improvement over the original. The first game felt like a teaser for a much larger story, and felt pretty generic and cheap (the localization didn’t help).

Gear Detective (the Parascientific Escape games are eShop only games for 3DS) wasn’t anything groundbreaking either, but it was a much better use of your $5 than the original. While it seems to abandon the story the original set up, it is a more fully fleshed out story, feels more complete, and has multiple endings, which the original did not feature.

It still doesn’t compare to more full-budget and full price titles like the Zero Escape series, but the escape room genre is pretty limited, and this game is well worth your $5. I’m hoping to play the third game in the series soon so it can be eligible for next year’s list.

7. Pokemon Moon (2016)

This game was a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed it, but there were some annoying decisions that prevented me from playing it more.

First, the good. I really liked the character designs in Sun/Moon. I enjoyed Alola more than Kalos, I enjoyed the new Pokemon in Alola more, and I appreciated that they tried to do something different with the Trials instead of the Gyms. I liked that they tried to breathe new life into old Pokemon with Alolan forms.

The downsides: Breeding is still a hassle, even with quality of life improvements, so competitive is still a hassle. Online was a huge step back, no more Super Training, no more being able to access online features while playing, you have to go to a separate screen. For its flaws, the PSS >>>>>>>>>> the Festival Plaza. Let us be able to chat via text and speech online, you cowards! There was a golfer character, but no golf minigame.

6. Pocket Card Jockey (2016)

Pocket Card Jockey was an unheralded 3DS eShop game that combined horse racing and solitaire. But while I played it, it was oh so addictive. I loved raising my horses, racing them, and naming them after obscure video game systems. If you don’t have it, you should definitely buy it. It’s a great way to pass the time.

The art style is incredibly cute as well, you’ll love your horses.

5. Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator (2017)

I almost forgot this game. @hopeies would have killed me if I had, so I put it on the list. I’m not super keen on romance-based visual novels, although I did put Katawa Shoujo on there last year. Being a heterosexual male, I did not think I would enjoy this game, but I was pleasantly surprised. I got to enjoy meeting and getting to know the various dads (Damien and Hugo were my favorites), but the game got some things right with the whole visual novel experience (and some things wrong).

My favorite thing about Dream Daddy, is that you can romance who you want. You can just go, “I want to romance that guy”, and YOU CAN FUCKING DO IT. No decrypting mysterious route conditions, no looking up a guide. And if you don’t know who you want to romance? You can get to know the various dads before committing to one. It also makes it very clear when you’ve pleased or displeased a dad, and pleasing or displeasing a dad is obvious if you’ve paid attention to what they like and don’t like. It takes a ton of the crypticness out of visual novels, and other VNs should take heed.

On the other hand, it doesn’t feature basic visual novel features like being able to backtrack or see a chat log, which is disappointing. DDADDS manages to mix up things by including minigames, made possible by the Unity engine. It also allows you to create your Dadsona, averting the typical blank slate protagonist of most visual novel games.

4. Mystery Chronicle: One Way Heroics (2016)

I bought the original One Way Heroics for 78 cents on Steam and loved it. It was a delightful hybrid of 16-bit JRPG and roguelike, and I was so excited when I heard Spike Chunsoft was doing an enhanced remake of this game. I haven’t played it as much as I want to, but it’s the original game but better, and that’s all I wanted.

To keep you from dawdling, you have to keep moving forward, or else the left edge of the screen will consume you. You also have to keep track of HP and hunger levels. Once you die, that’s it - but you can transfer items between playthroughs and gain perks that will help you do better in future playthroughs.

It’s such a delightful throwback to the old days, and a fun roguelike.

3. Love Live! School Idol Festival (2014)

This is the first ever mobile game to make the list. I knew I wanted to download this once I joined the mobile world - Cute girls, trading cards, and music? What’s not to like? The rhythm game aspect is very good. It’s very responsive, and fun. The visual novel aspect is kind of hit or miss, but I love the girls, so it’s all good. It’s basically just the characters being themselves, and no real story of importance. I wish the game was a bit less stingy with love gems, but otherwise, I love it.

2. Nier (2010)

Nier is kind of punching above its weight here. While the game itself isn’t anything special, it’s wrapped up in this awesome music, beautiful graphics, and innovative storytelling that makes it something special. Besides, Yoko Taro is just a great guy. I can’t wait to get a chance to play Automata, so I can surely put it on a future list.

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)

This is the video that convinced me to give SOTN another try:

It truly is a masterpiece, but some of my own thoughts: It’s a shame Sony discouraged 2D games on the PS1, because the 2D games on the PS1 are timeless. 2D is timeless. 3D ends up looking like shit later, and the PS1 3D games surely do look like shit.

[terryblount]

Toki Review

Once upon a time during the arcade golden era, numerous games were releasing at a constant pace, each one aiming to captivate young players with pockets full of coins. With so many games to choose from, companies had to distinguish themselves through the latest technologies, custom arcade cabinets, colorful creativity, and other innovative methods.

During this time of wonders, arcade and home console companies like Namco, Nintendo, and Sega fiercely fought to stay on the cutting edge of glory. It was during this time that a small company called TAD Corporation created a surprise hit platformer; a game called Toki.

The glorious Toki title screen, coming at you from 1989 to 2019!

Here’s a little history of the company. TAD Corporation started making games in 1988 and had immediate success with its arcade hit Cabal. This success allowed the next year’s release of Toki; a curious game and a bit different from the competition.

Toki was another sudden success thanks to smart design choices and over-the-top humor. It kept some of the clichés from that era (such as a damsel in distress and an evil wizard), but Toki subverted the concept of the hero. Usually you’d play as the super-muscular and attractive main character, but in Toki you played as Toki, the somewhat ugly protagonist.

The story goes that he was an unlucky Tarzan-like fellow that, while saving his beloved Wanda, was transformed into a hairy primate. He became a sort of antihero, and his new powers (shooting magical spheres from his mouth, obviously!) allowed him to go on a quest to save his love and do battle with the forces of evil, ultimately confronting the wily wizard.

Here we see Tarz…ehm, Toki being transformed by the big baddie!

Given the story context, the game was set in the winning choice of a colorful jungle rather than the common industrial or fantasy settings of the era. Hence, the characters contrasted wonderfully with the nicely detailed backgrounds of each stage, attracting the eyes of wandering arcade-goers.

The nicely drawn world map. A whole jungle world to explore, stage by stage.

The gameplay itself consists of basic platforming by today’s standards. Various jumping patterns and enemy movements can be learned as you go. There’s power-ups to improve Toki’s abilities, including new skills like fire shots and gear like an American football suit to protect him (quite humorous looking).

Even with all this creative and colorful design, the arcade version of Toki unfortunately didn’t become a household name. It was successful, meaning lots of players loved the game, but the Toki brand and mascot never hit the mainstream.

On a personal note living in Italy, the game was quite well known because it was available at so many beaches and camping sites, where all the old arcade games were sent (probably because they were cheaper to rent or buy than the fancy new cabinets).

The first level’s always easy. Notice the use of one of the ‘old school’ video filters.

Thankfully, though, Toki did find more notoriety upon entering people’s homes. Over the next few years after release, the game became available on numerous home systems and computers. Some compromises did have to be made on certain versions in order to make the game run on less powerful systems, creating various levels of quality.

For those who are old enough to remember, one of the biggest publishers and porting houses was a company called Ocean Software which, thanks to its French division, created the best ports of Toki for the two most powerful gaming consoles of that time: the Amiga and Atari ST. With these excellent versions, finally eager players could enjoy the game at home without the hassle of the coin-eating arcade life.

Despite the success of their first two games, in just 1993 TAD Corporation closed its doors, and Toki was relegated to the distant memories of many players, only occasionally being remembered through old cassettes, discs, and random beach bars and arcades.

Under the sea, Under the sea! Nice goggles, Toki!

Then, in 2009, something happened: for its 20th anniversary a team from France–including some of the original Ocean Software people who created the Amiga port–decided to remake the game for modern platforms, thanks to their in-depth knowledge gathered at the time of the original port. Unfortunately, for various budget or publishing reasons, the game never came out and, apart from a few discussions here and there and sparse news, the game seemed to be vaporware.

This finally brings us to the present, with another French company, Microids, announcing a full remake of the game would come out close to the game’s 30th anniversary. First released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, finally Toki has made its glorious return in 2019 to various modern platforms, to the joy (and surprise) of many.

The remake process has been handled very faithfully by reconstructing from scratch all assets, including redrawing all characters with high-resolution cartoon imagery, while painting the backgrounds in a semi-watercolor style. There’s also a fully re-orchestrated soundtrack that works well to enhance the charming and zany humor of the game.

The first boss! Remain calm and don’t get stomped!

On the technical side, the game plays at a high framerate and is so much smoother than its old school roots. Apart from a few moments of lag (probably my PC’s fault), the game runs great. Other nice features include various video filters to recreate the old-fashioned monitors of our childhoods, a speedrun mode, and a jukebox option to listen to the tunes both old and new.

Being originally quite hard, this modern Toki also allows players to change the difficulty. If you’re like me–platformers aren’t my strong suit–you may have some problems finishing the game even on the lowest difficulty because of tricky platforming and placement of many enemies in some stages.

The second level begins to make you struggle if you’re not a platforming expert.

In conclusion, even if it is a simple game–easy to describe and hard to master–thirty years on Toki remains a work of art thanks to the loving of remake treatment it has received, giving new life to this great old game. We’ve seen this done in recent years with other games like Wonder Boy, and hopefully the trend of quality modernizations of classic games at a budget price will continue.

As a reviewer, it’s hard to review Toki simply because it feels out of time, coming from another age. However, I really hope you’ll love Toki as much as I have loved it. If you’re looking for a fun lower-priced game to play with old school platforming and timeless charm, this new Toki is likely for you.

Beautiful recreated art

Lots of neat new features

Runs well on old PCs

Faithful to original

Budget price

Developed by some of the original porting team

Platforming isn’t for everyone

Simplistic gameplay but sometimes very hard

No option for the original pixel graphics

  Playtime: 10 hours total (and counting). Mathieu has not completed the game, but he’s still playing it (and dying lots of times!).

Computer Specs: Windows 10 64-bit laptop computer, with 16GB of Ram, Nvidia 1050Ti.

The post Toki Review appeared first on DSOGaming.

Toki Review published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[operationrainfall]

Title Metroid: Samus Returns Developer MercurySteam Entertainment, Nintendo Publisher Nintendo Release Date September 15th, 2017 Genre Adventure, Platformer Platform Nintendo 3DS Age Rating E for Everyone – Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes Official Website

It’s a little hard to believe that it’s been 13 years since we got a proper Metroid game. The last traditional adventure in the series was 2004’s Metroid: Zero Mission, itself a sort of prequel and remake of the original NES game. Since that time, the series became more experimental, and flirted with the 3D first person shooting found in the Prime series as well as the incredibly divisive Other M. And that’s not to mention the unmentionable Federation Force, a game I still maintain doesn’t belong in the series. With Samus Returns, we got not only a return to form, but also the second intensive remake in the series. While I had played some of Metroid II: Return of Samus, the handheld adventure Samus Returns is based on, it frustrated me with several archaic design choices and hardware limitations. With Samus Returns, the experience is totally reimagined, with streamlined new mechanics as well as revamped and totally new boss encounters. The question is, does Samus Returns herald a new beginning for everyone’s favorite bounty huntress? Or should Samus curl up in a Morph Ball and power bomb the series into oblivion?

The adventure begins with a brief recap of the events of the original Metroid, presented with beautiful hand drawn art. Mother Brain may have been put down, but the threat presented by the Metroids still looms large, so Samus is sent by the Federation to SR388 in order to wipe them all out. That’s all the backstory you get, and really all you need for motivation. The series has always lived or died on atmosphere, combat and exploration, and all are on plentiful display here. The game will give you little hints and nudges in the right direction, but you will mostly have to rely on your own wits to find your way through, with some small provisos. One are the Metroid altars. When you first find them, you will be notified of a certain number of Metroids you need to hunt down to lower the purple miasma and provide a route to a new area. You can also return to altars after defeating at least one Metroid to plug in their DNA and reveal the location of any nearby Metroids.

Go on Samus, just roll into the statue’s gullet to get your new Aeion ability… Totally trustworthy.

The other feature that helps simplify things falls under the auspices of the brand new Aeion abilities. These work like any other upgrade, and must be first found in order to use them. There is a nice variety, ranging from tactical to combat, but the very first you get makes exploration a bit easier. This is the Scan Pulse, and it sends out a sonar pulse that reveals a bit of the map around you, as well as revealing hidden destructible blocks in your immediate vicinity. While I was worried this would make exploration too easy, I still got lost plenty of times. The Scan Pulse only serves to light your path, it doesn’t show you the way forward. Furthermore, since all Aeion abilities rely on a special meter, you won’t always have enough juice to activate them. Having said that, the Scan Pulse was always my go to ability, and the other Aeion abilities I only used when I was absolutely forced to (usually for puzzle solving).

Besides the Aeion abilities, there are a number of other improvements and changes to the experience. First, and perhaps most enjoyable, is the new counter attack. By timing it just right, and waiting til an enemy is about to connect with you, you can uppercut foes with your gauntleted fist, stunning them and allowing you a moment to unleash a torrent of firepower. I admit I was initially worried about MercurySteam handling the development of the game (Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate was fun, though it wasn’t really the Castlevania I love), but they have more than proven their skill to me in Samus Returns. The counter could have been one note or overpowered, but I found it nuanced and fun. I appreciated you could activate it a little early and still make it work, but also liked that it wouldn’t help you much when multiple enemies swarmed you at once. Best of all, it can make boss fights a little easier, but doesn’t remove the challenge. Another nifty new feature is the free aiming. By holding the L button, you can aim your cannon in any direction, allowing Samus to snipe pesky foes with ease. Though it does occasionally become a chore to hold the L button, especially when the game requires you to also hold the R button to select missiles, overall I had few complaints.

These guys aren’t so tough if you counter their attacks!

While the game isn’t what I would call linear, it does offer a distinct flow. You get to a new area, are told how many Metroids to hunt, find them as well as requisite suit upgrades, kill the Metroids, then return to the altar to reveal the way forward. The one nice thing is you won’t be able to get to a new area without finding the upgrades you need to progress. So if you’re worried about getting stuck, don’t be. I feared I had missed the Grapple Beam in Area 2, and thought I needed it to get anywhere in Area 3. As it turned out, I already had the upgrades required, and was able to find an alternate route using my nifty Spider Ball. Making things a bit easier is the return of Save Pedestals. You’ll note I didn’t say Save Room, since in Samus Returns, these are found out in the open. Further differentiating them, these Save areas don’t fully heal you or replenish your ammo. Instead, you’ll find separate terminals to charge your energy, ammo and Aeion meter. Though it would have been nice to have these all in one terminal, their separation does add a bit more challenge, and encourages you to get better at countering foes, since doing so successfully rewards you with more health and ammo. Lastly, this game takes a page from Castlevania’s playbook, and offers Warp Pedestals. These make backtracking much less of a hassle, and I hope they show up in future 2D Metroid games.

More Samus on Page 2 ->

Perhaps most exciting are the high octane boss fights in the game. You’ll be hunting some 40 Metroids, and while it’s true you’ll face many of the same type, ranging from the basic Alpha to Gamma to Zeta and Omega, the game keeps finding ways to spice these battles up. For one thing, the layout of the arena keeps you on your toes. Sometimes you might fight in a room with lots of floor, others you might be isolated on a rocky island over a pit of lava, being assaulted by angry Metroids. It also goes without saying that each type of Metroid has its own pattern of attacks, though they keep them exciting since the same variety of Metroid might have elemental variants with unique skills. Hot blooded Metroids tend to light the floor on fire while electrical Metroids surround themselves with a field of dangerous energy before charging. It’s good not to get too cocky after getting used to battling them, since even the smallest Metroid can wipe you out if given half a chance. You’ll need to be fast, precise and counter at the right time to guarantee success, and even then, you’re almost certain to take some damage in the bargain. And that’s just talking about the standard Metroids. There are other boss fights I won’t spoil, suffice to say they are some of the most challenging I’ve faced in the series.

Visually, the game is stunning, and makes great use of the 3DS’ strengths. There’s a ton of detail in every environment, from mechanical ruins with fiery traps to ominous caverns full of purple poison, and much more. Likewise, the enemies in the game are delightfully animated, and each looks different and has a distinct attack pattern. While there are some color swaps, this didn’t bother me overmuch, since a new color meant a more powerful variant, and I appreciated that visual cue. Most impressive were the bosses themselves, all monstrous, hungry beasts. If that wasn’t enough, the cutscenes that occur when you counter a boss are all a delight, as each reveals Samus’ character without her having to speak one word. On the sound side of things, I had a bit of a mixed impression. I know this is a remake, so I should expect old songs to get reused. But my complaint is many of the songs I recognized I believe were from Super Metroid. Though that’s probably the best entry in the series, I wanted Samus Returns to have it’s own unique sound, not riff off the best tunes from the rest of the series. That said, using songs from Metroid II wasn’t really an option, since they have not aged well, and Samus Returns does a good job of making the environment of SR388 come to life. Even if the sound invokes less isolation and dread than the music from Super Metroid, it still does a good job of immersing the player. I won’t, however, complain about the sound effects. From the hum of Samus’ blaster to the screech of enraged Metroids, the sound effects truly make the game universe come alive.

Be a dear and tell me where those pesky Metroids are.

There’s a lot I loved about Samus Returns, but it wouldn’t be fair not to mention those areas I felt that the game missed the mark somewhat. The first instance of frustration happened during a chase sequence, where failure to move quickly results in instant death. This portion required you to turn into a morph ball, and sprint and grapple your way forward as a massive grinder tries to get closer and pulp you. My problem was, the game kept resetting my weapon to Beam attack when I died instead of Grappling Beam, which meant I had to spend precious, frantic seconds using the stylus to select it while avoiding instant death. If I could have just paused the game to equip the Grappling Beam instead, this wouldn’t have been an issue. Another annoyance happened when I got super missiles. Missiles can only be fired while holding the R button, but super missiles also require you to touch the icon using your stylus. As a righty, I can’t easily hold R and also hold the stylus to select the super missiles from the menu. I was basically forced to hold R and use my thumb to get super missiles to work, which is risky and imprecise during battles. If the game would only allow you to customize the controls, even if it’s just switching which button does what, this wouldn’t have been an issue.

The Spider Ball is an absolute joy, and makes traversing environments a blast.

My other complaint regards amiibo. As one of those not fortunate enough to secure the new Samus and baby Metroid 2 pack, it also meant I wasn’t getting the full game experience. I don’t mind having amiibo unlock content, but when it’s content integral to the experience, such as unlocking new modes and galleries, there should at least be some alternate method to acquire such features. It’s a slap in the face to fans of the Metroid series who want to experience the full game, but can’t because features were stupidly tied to non essential amiibo. At the very least, if Nintendo intends to continue this practice, they should offer special editions which come bundled with all the requisite amiibo. Gamers are more than willing to pay for such novelties, they just need the opportunity to do so.

Do yourself a favor and don’t take a swim in that…

Even though it stumbled a little, overall I was quite pleased with Metroid: Samus Returns. I managed to beat it in just over 12 hours with 62% map completion, and only got seriously stuck a handful of times. Not only was this remake gorgeous, but it offers a fantastic return to form for the long running series. If you’re a fan of the series, or are just looking for an excuse to jump on board, you can’t go wrong for only $39.99. Best of all, if the ending is any indication, this might not be the last remake of a 2D Metroid we can look forward to! Here’s hoping Samus is around for many years to come, annihilating alien scum and looking great while doing it.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4.0″]

Review Copy Purchased by Author

REVIEW: Metroid: Samus Returns Title Metroid: Samus Returns

[grabey]

The Double

Great to see Horizon Zero Dawn getting great reviews almost across the board, although I see some of my concerns about it being all graphics and no gameplay have some basis in reality. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this compares to the new Zelda as both games seem to have a lot in common. But there are of course the tables will be turned and it’s decent graphics and (hopefully) amazing gameplay.

It really is a shame that we never get both at the same time though. Nintendo games always have great art design but they’re never working on top notch hardware so it’s never going to be them that does The Double. Maybe Guerrilla will improve with a sequel but I think they’re just too focused on graphics. On the other hand Bethesda just don’t seem to care and their Fallout and Elder Scrolls games seem doomed to always be one generation behind in terms of graphics.

Even something like The Witcher 3, which is an excellent game that looks amazing, still has some pretty obvious flaws in terms of gameplay, specifically combat. For an action role-player in particularly I don’t know that we’re any closer to seeing both sides of the equation equal out. Armalyte

Across the pond

The thing that strikes me about the Horizon Zero Dawn reviews is that, yet again, the UK sites have marked lower than the Americans. Eurogamer didn’t give the game a recommend, and GC, The Guardian, and Videogamer gave the game an 8/10. Most other European sites seem to be in the 8/10 range too, with the high scores dominated by the big US sites.

We’ve seen this happen before with other games but my question is whether this is because Americans like the game more or because of a fundamental difference in how American reviewers do their job. It used to be that American sites would always mark much higher and generally not give a bad review to any big name game. I thought that had changed in recent years though and they were generally more reliable.

Ignoring any conspiracy about being paid off is maybe just the graphics being really good that makes the difference? Are Americans more drawn to state-of-the-art graphics and we Europeans are less impressed? It’s not something I’ve noticed to be honest, but there is definitely a pattern here when it comes to big games. Xane

Two good reasons

After reading your review of Horizon Zero Dawn, I’ll certainly be getting it. I’d prefer to play it on the PS4 Pro, as you said it makes the graphics even prettier, but I can’t justify buying a new console just for that. I would, however, fork out a few quid to upgrade my PlayStation 4 to Pro standard, but you can’t do that. Why not?

I know the cynical answer, but is there a technical reason why Sony couldn’t release a hardware upgrade to the original console? Nintendo did it with the N64 expansion pack, and Sega did with the Mega CD and 32X! Tim Keeling

GC: We’re not sure if there’s a technical reason but the success, or lack thereof, of the Mega CD and 32X is one reason. And your cynical answer covers the rest.

Can’t go back

Been playing DiRT Rally on PlayStation VR over the weekend and it’s fantastic, I found it much easier on the eyes than Driveclub due to the graphics being sharper. I’m getting quicker times than when I played it in 2D, due to it being easier to judge corners and bumps. On a wheel it feels so natural and I’m going to struggle playing racing games the standard way now.

just wondered if Codemasters were adding a VR mode to DiRT 4 when it’s out? Hope so, because I don’t know if I will get it now if it has not got a VR mode.

I’ve also really been enjoying Steep, but it would be awesome if that was in VR. Especially when using the wingsuit, it’s nerve wrecking in normal mode but in VR it would be a real adrenaline rush! robbie.j

GC: They’ve hinted at VR support for DiRT 4, but not confirmed it. It seems a no-brainer if DiRT Rally’s VR support proves popular.

Dare to dream

With all this talk about what Microsoft might or might not be showing at E3, I can’t help but get excited myself at the prospect. But then I remember the E3 rule of thumb, that you always end up being disappointed because there’s no way things can live up to six months of your imagination hyping up what’s going to be there.

And then I remember Sony’s Shenmue III/The Last Guardian/Final Fantasy VII show and you realise that sometimes dreams can come true! (They weren’t actually my dream games, but I get that they were other people’s). So does that mean I can imagine half a dozen brand new games and there be a chance that’s actually what happens? I hope so. This needs to be Microsoft’s E3. Trooper

Game of two halves

So now that most people have probably had a chance to beat Resident Evil 7, do you wish it was more or less serious than it is? I think they got the cheesiness just about right, but I’d definitely say the game was better in the first half than the second. Maybe they couldn’t have sustained that kind of setting and atmosphere for the whole game but I would’ve like to see them try, rather than go in the direction they did (trying not to give any spoilers here).

Just wondering what everyone else though though? Should it have been more serious? Should the sequel add in more traditional Resident Evil sci-fi stuff or keep the same sort of style? I’m kind of torn. There is some classic Resi stuff I’d like to see in first person (and VR) but the problem with any reboot like this is that you just end up slowly creeping back to what you were trying to get away from in the first place. Very interested to see how they handle the Resident Evil 2 remake given that. Crispen

Time for another

Crackdown is now 10 years old, as it was released in North America on February 20th 2007 and worldwide on February 23rd 2007.

It has been 10 years and I had the pleasure of playing this and Crackdown 2. Let’s hope we see something to celebrate this milestone, in the future like backwards compatibility with other Crackdown titles on Xbox 360 via the Xbox One, or a possible remaster of the previous two games. gaz be rotten (gamertag)

GC: Or, you known, some news on the new sequel?

Gaming unplugged

I’ve yet to delve join this generation of gaming – party because I’m skint and partly because all of the stories I hear of the capers that have hampered the majority of games that have come out the last few years. Most games apparently are released half-finished and require ridiculously huge updates that you need the Internet for (which I don’t have) before you even get to play the product you paid good money for.

This is incredibly off-putting to me as it sounds like a lot of hassle and doesn’t seem to be slowing down (referring to a recent letter about Hitman, which also requires an Internet connection to play to its fullest, eugh).

I really want to join this generation, as there are quite a few great single-player games being released (which I would have thought impossible in the age of online multiplayer) and with more to come in the future it seems it would be a great time to take the plunge and I was wondering how bad it ACTUALLY is. Do most games work after the updates? Do the majority of games require updates? Is it worth buying a PlayStation 4 without Internet connection? I’d ask around the net but find most gaming forums/comment sections full of *insert swear word* and GC and its loyal – and decent readers – are the only folk I trust.

Ahh, I just wish game companies would just start charging 70-80 quid per game. The cost of making games gone up but the price has pretty much remained the same. Yes, people will moan, but any game that has literally hundreds of hours worth of content (Skyrim, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, etc.) more than deserves a higher price tag.

It would also allow companies to produce better quality products that actually work, as we all know money (or lack thereof) is the reason they ain’t working right in the first place. GrandaddyGrenadeMan92

GC: Most games will work, but almost all have updates – sometimes very important ones. We really wouldn’t advise getting any next gen console without an Internet connection at home.

Inbox also-rans

Resident Evil 5 had a big ship in it! LastYearsModel09

GC: Oh yeah. This is quickly become a conspiracy.

Not that I’m hoping, but do we know if Tingle is going to be in Zelda: Breath Of The Wild yet? I dread to think what will happen with his voiceover. Ash

This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Sarge, who asks what game would you find it impossible to play without its original soundtrack?

For many people a video game’s music is an intrinsic part of the appeal, but what soundtrack do you love so much you wouldn’t dream of playing the game without it? Sometimes having the sound on is a problem, and sometimes people like to use custom soundtracks – or just turn the soundtrack down and their own music up. But what game would you never do that with?

Have you ever been upset with remasters or other versions that change or remove the original soundtrack? And do you own the soundtrack separately, either digitally or on CD or vinyl?

Source: http://ift.tt/2kSRaCP

[justinharst]

The Double

Great to see Horizon Zero Dawn getting great reviews almost across the board, although I see some of my concerns about it being all graphics and no gameplay have some basis in reality. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this compares to the new Zelda as both games seem to have a lot in common. But there are of course the tables will be turned and it’s decent graphics and (hopefully) amazing gameplay.

It really is a shame that we never get both at the same time though. Nintendo games always have great art design but they’re never working on top notch hardware so it’s never going to be them that does The Double. Maybe Guerrilla will improve with a sequel but I think they’re just too focused on graphics. On the other hand Bethesda just don’t seem to care and their Fallout and Elder Scrolls games seem doomed to always be one generation behind in terms of graphics.

Even something like The Witcher 3, which is an excellent game that looks amazing, still has some pretty obvious flaws in terms of gameplay, specifically combat. For an action role-player in particularly I don’t know that we’re any closer to seeing both sides of the equation equal out. Armalyte

Across the pond

The thing that strikes me about the Horizon Zero Dawn reviews is that, yet again, the UK sites have marked lower than the Americans. Eurogamer didn’t give the game a recommend, and GC, The Guardian, and Videogamer gave the game an 8/10. Most other European sites seem to be in the 8/10 range too, with the high scores dominated by the big US sites.

We’ve seen this happen before with other games but my question is whether this is because Americans like the game more or because of a fundamental difference in how American reviewers do their job. It used to be that American sites would always mark much higher and generally not give a bad review to any big name game. I thought that had changed in recent years though and they were generally more reliable.

Ignoring any conspiracy about being paid off is maybe just the graphics being really good that makes the difference? Are Americans more drawn to state-of-the-art graphics and we Europeans are less impressed? It’s not something I’ve noticed to be honest, but there is definitely a pattern here when it comes to big games. Xane

Two good reasons

After reading your review of Horizon Zero Dawn, I’ll certainly be getting it. I’d prefer to play it on the PS4 Pro, as you said it makes the graphics even prettier, but I can’t justify buying a new console just for that. I would, however, fork out a few quid to upgrade my PlayStation 4 to Pro standard, but you can’t do that. Why not?

I know the cynical answer, but is there a technical reason why Sony couldn’t release a hardware upgrade to the original console? Nintendo did it with the N64 expansion pack, and Sega did with the Mega CD and 32X! Tim Keeling

GC: We’re not sure if there’s a technical reason but the success, or lack thereof, of the Mega CD and 32X is one reason. And your cynical answer covers the rest.

Can’t go back

Been playing DiRT Rally on PlayStation VR over the weekend and it’s fantastic, I found it much easier on the eyes than Driveclub due to the graphics being sharper. I’m getting quicker times than when I played it in 2D, due to it being easier to judge corners and bumps. On a wheel it feels so natural and I’m going to struggle playing racing games the standard way now.

just wondered if Codemasters were adding a VR mode to DiRT 4 when it’s out? Hope so, because I don’t know if I will get it now if it has not got a VR mode.

I’ve also really been enjoying Steep, but it would be awesome if that was in VR. Especially when using the wingsuit, it’s nerve wrecking in normal mode but in VR it would be a real adrenaline rush! robbie.j

GC: They’ve hinted at VR support for DiRT 4, but not confirmed it. It seems a no-brainer if DiRT Rally’s VR support proves popular.

Dare to dream

With all this talk about what Microsoft might or might not be showing at E3, I can’t help but get excited myself at the prospect. But then I remember the E3 rule of thumb, that you always end up being disappointed because there’s no way things can live up to six months of your imagination hyping up what’s going to be there.

And then I remember Sony’s Shenmue III/The Last Guardian/Final Fantasy VII show and you realise that sometimes dreams can come true! (They weren’t actually my dream games, but I get that they were other people’s). So does that mean I can imagine half a dozen brand new games and there be a chance that’s actually what happens? I hope so. This needs to be Microsoft’s E3. Trooper

Game of two halves

So now that most people have probably had a chance to beat Resident Evil 7, do you wish it was more or less serious than it is? I think they got the cheesiness just about right, but I’d definitely say the game was better in the first half than the second. Maybe they couldn’t have sustained that kind of setting and atmosphere for the whole game but I would’ve like to see them try, rather than go in the direction they did (trying not to give any spoilers here).

Just wondering what everyone else though though? Should it have been more serious? Should the sequel add in more traditional Resident Evil sci-fi stuff or keep the same sort of style? I’m kind of torn. There is some classic Resi stuff I’d like to see in first person (and VR) but the problem with any reboot like this is that you just end up slowly creeping back to what you were trying to get away from in the first place. Very interested to see how they handle the Resident Evil 2 remake given that. Crispen

Time for another

Crackdown is now 10 years old, as it was released in North America on February 20th 2007 and worldwide on February 23rd 2007.

It has been 10 years and I had the pleasure of playing this and Crackdown 2. Let’s hope we see something to celebrate this milestone, in the future like backwards compatibility with other Crackdown titles on Xbox 360 via the Xbox One, or a possible remaster of the previous two games. gaz be rotten (gamertag)

GC: Or, you known, some news on the new sequel?

Gaming unplugged

I’ve yet to delve join this generation of gaming – party because I’m skint and partly because all of the stories I hear of the capers that have hampered the majority of games that have come out the last few years. Most games apparently are released half-finished and require ridiculously huge updates that you need the Internet for (which I don’t have) before you even get to play the product you paid good money for.

This is incredibly off-putting to me as it sounds like a lot of hassle and doesn’t seem to be slowing down (referring to a recent letter about Hitman, which also requires an Internet connection to play to its fullest, eugh).

I really want to join this generation, as there are quite a few great single-player games being released (which I would have thought impossible in the age of online multiplayer) and with more to come in the future it seems it would be a great time to take the plunge and I was wondering how bad it ACTUALLY is. Do most games work after the updates? Do the majority of games require updates? Is it worth buying a PlayStation 4 without Internet connection? I’d ask around the net but find most gaming forums/comment sections full of *insert swear word* and GC and its loyal – and decent readers – are the only folk I trust.

Ahh, I just wish game companies would just start charging 70-80 quid per game. The cost of making games gone up but the price has pretty much remained the same. Yes, people will moan, but any game that has literally hundreds of hours worth of content (Skyrim, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, etc.) more than deserves a higher price tag.

It would also allow companies to produce better quality products that actually work, as we all know money (or lack thereof) is the reason they ain’t working right in the first place. GrandaddyGrenadeMan92

GC: Most games will work, but almost all have updates – sometimes very important ones. We really wouldn’t advise getting any next gen console without an Internet connection at home.

Inbox also-rans

Resident Evil 5 had a big ship in it! LastYearsModel09

GC: Oh yeah. This is quickly become a conspiracy.

Not that I’m hoping, but do we know if Tingle is going to be in Zelda: Breath Of The Wild yet? I dread to think what will happen with his voiceover. Ash

This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Sarge, who asks what game would you find it impossible to play without its original soundtrack?

For many people a video game’s music is an intrinsic part of the appeal, but what soundtrack do you love so much you wouldn’t dream of playing the game without it? Sometimes having the sound on is a problem, and sometimes people like to use custom soundtracks – or just turn the soundtrack down and their own music up. But what game would you never do that with?

Have you ever been upset with remasters or other versions that change or remove the original soundtrack? And do you own the soundtrack separately, either digitally or on CD or vinyl?

Source: http://ift.tt/2kSRaCP